When does perception become reality? When a preconceived notion trumps all logic and becomes the first thought associated with a specific topic. Why is it then, that “light rail” seems to be the favored quarter when it comes to alternative transportation modes? Last week, I tackled the first half of why we perceive light rail to be superior to commuter rail when I wrote about, “Why Route Matters for Indianapolis”. In that post, I highlighted that it isn’t neccesarily the mode that gets you there, but where a transit route goes that drives ridership...

I’m always intrigued by buildings that have barely survived removal via eminent domain. They give a fair indication of other structures that were not so lucky. One of the most handsome in the city is the former Standard Oil Company Building, now home to Entheos Architects on Lord Street in Fletcher Place.
The structure stands out in a sea of parking and pavement:
This pic shows just how little margin for error there was in the decision to retain the structure:
Here’s a bonus pic of a great empty house, just to the south on Harrison Street:
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My interests in cities led me to enroll in Ball State University’s Master of Urban Design (MUD) program at their Indianapolis Center (CAP:IC). Urban design focuses on the public areas of our cities, including parks, plazas, transportation, and zoning/land use policy. The MUD program and CAP:IC are part of an effort to bring new ideas about planning, design, and theory to Indiana’s capital. The long-term mission of the center is “be a catalyst for recovering and redefining the experience of urban places.”
The purpose of the MUD degree is to integrate knowledge from the...

What happened in downtown Indianapolis between the 1970s and the present day is often referred to as one of the best examples of urban revitalization in recent years. This is with good reason. Thirty years ago, the city’s nickname was ‘naptown’, today we’re preparing to host the Super Bowl. It would be wrong to deny or discount the massive changes for the better that have benefited the Circle City over these last three decades.
But it’s not enough.
To oversimplify things a bit, the growth in Indy’s downtown has been driven by civic and government leaders focused on three...

When Indyconnect released their latest revised plan, “light rail” was gutted from the 25 year vision and “commuter rail” routes previously slated for the NE and S corridors, were lengthened from their originally proposed routes. The basis for the removal of light rail wasn’t against the merits of commuter rail over light rail; it was for the geographic location in which each potential mode was planned to be routed and the associated costs with constructing in those locations. Not the mode itself. Property acquisition aside, traditional tie & ballast construction...